Flores, along with the island of Corvo, is situated on the American Continental Plate of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and belongs to the western group of islands in the Azores archipelago. Geomorphologically, the island is composed of two units:
- The Central Massif - it is the central plain, where is located many maar structures with lake-filled craters adjacent lands;
- The Coastal Periphery - it includes the coastal zones, cliffs and ancient beaches, as well as the coastal shelf.
The island developed initially from a submarine volcano from the Pleistocene period that constructed small calderas and numerous pyroclastic cones. Following a long period of quiescence beginning about 200,000 years ago, several young phreatomagmatic craters and associated lava flows erupted during the Holocene period, including two about 3000 years ago. The Funda de Lajes tuff ring formed about 3150 years ago, accompanied by a lava flow that traveled toward the southeast reach the area of Lajes. The Caldeira Comprida tuff ring in Caldeira Seca (west-central Flores) later, at about 2900 years ago, producing a lava flow that traveled towards the region of Fajã Grande.
Azevedo et al. (1986) divides the lavas and deposits into two major volcanic complexes:
- Basal Volcanic Complex - includes products and deposits of both submarine and sub-aerial volcanism, formed by pyroclastic deposits and inter-bedded flows of alkali basalts.
- Upper Volcanic Complex - represents the main sub-aerial activity composed of three main stratigraphic units, that include basaltic to trachytic flows with inter-bedded pyroclastic deposits in the first two layers, and a more recent unit of exclusively pyroclastic deposits.
During the summer, the island is covered with thousands of hydrangeas, which have large blue or pink flowers; this is the origin of the island's name (Flores is the Portuguese word for flowers).
The island has deep valleys and high peaks; Pico do Burrinho is the highest place on the island, reaching an altitude of 915 meters, while Morro Alto, Sete Pés, Burrinha and Marcel are other peaks on the island. Flores has several inactivevolcanoes; Caldeira Funda last erupted in 1200 B.C.E., and Caldeira Comprida in 950 B.C.E. In many situations where water collected in volcanic calderas (or caldeiras in Portuguese), lakes formed: there are seven of these lakes on the island. The Águas Quentes are small hot springs of boiling sulfurous water. The Gruta de Enxaréus is an enormous cavern, about 50 meters long and 25 meters wide.
Ecoregions & protected areas
By the sea in the municipality of Lajes das Flores is Fajãzinha, a typical Azorean village that includes ruins of water mills. There one can also find the waterfalls of Ribeira Grande, of which there are at least 20. They drop from a height of three hundred meters, some directly into the Atlantic Ocean.
On May 27, 2009, Flores was chosen as one of several areas to be included on UNESCO's list of World Network of Biosphere Reserves at the Man and the Biosphere Programme meeting held in Jeju, South Korea, along with the islands of Graciosa andCorvo. The program targets the ecological, social and economic dimensions of biodiversity loss and the reduction of this loss. It uses its World Network of Biosphere Reserves as vehicles for knowledge sharing, research and monitoring, education and training, and participatory decision-making with local communities.[4]
On 13 October 2010, the Regional Secretary for Environment and Ocean (Portuguese: Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Mar) declared that the Rocha dos Bordões would be given a regional monument designation as part of an overall plan of integrating the Flores Nature Park (Portuguese: Parque Natural da Ilha das Flores). The park is formed from the central plateau, descends in the northern coast and along the southern coast from Morro Alto, including the many lakes, ending at the Rocha dos Bordões. In the government's decision, the regional secretary included an area "especially rich in peet and humid zone vegtation" and in the extreme, the geological formation of the Rocha dos Bordões.
The micro-climate of the forest park of Fazenda allows the development of a great number and variety of exotic species from all over the world.
Due to the generally rugged landscape of the island, many of the early settlements developed along the flatter coastal lands. The few settlements that are located in the interior are only dotted by small homes or agricultural buildings. Administratively, the island of Flores is divided into two municipalities (concelhos in Portuguese), which in turn are composed of several civil parishes, with their own civil committees and administrative executives:
Santa Cruz das Flores, located in the north, has a 2493 inhabitants (2001 census) and includes the islands largest community (Santa Cruz das Flores), a community located on the eastern coast, and where the local airport, as well as the principal governmental services, primary and secondary schools, and regional health center are located. It comprises the following civil parishes:
- Caveira - the smallest parish in size, bordering Lajes das Flores, with less than 100 inhabitants;
- Cedros - the "middle" parish that straddles the river-valleys of Alagoa Bay and historical location of orchards owing to its micro-climate;
- Ponta Delgada; third-largest community on the island, located along the northern coast;
- Santa Cruz das Flores; municipal seat, location of the airport and largest population (less than 2000 inhabitants.
Lajes das Flores, the southern municipality includes many of the natural landscapes of the island, and is inhabited by approximately 1502 inhabitants (2001 census). The principal parishes are:
- Fajã Grande - located in the basin and fajã on the western coast, with a population of less than 250 inhabitants;
- Fajãzinha - less than 100 residents live in this community, located north of Fajã Grande; Fajãzinha is a diminutive of fajã, referring to it being a small agglomeration of homes in the corner of the fajã;
- Fazenda - literally meaning "commercial goods" or "location where [these] goods are available for sale", it was the last civil parish to be formed (de-annexed from its neighbour in 1919); there less than 300 people living in an area of 29.5/km²;
- Lajedo - an agricultural community located 9 km from Lajes, and close to one of the islands ex-libris, the Rocha dos Bordões, as well as other natural monuments;
- Lajes das Flores - the seat of the municipal government, located in the southeast coast; largest population center in the municipality;
- Lomba - location of the island's first chapel, and neighbor of the parish of Lajes, Lomba literally represents an area border by river-valleys along the southern coast;
- Mosteiro - the smallest parish in area and density, with less than 50 residents; it is the second smallest center on the island.
- The economy of the island is mainly agricultural, with taro and grain. Due to the early settlers being from northern Portugal, the island's houses and streets resemble those found there. Portugal has a military agreement with France permitting France to have a base in the region. The island also has an airport.
Gastronomy
In addition to the traditional meat and fish dishes that popularly Azorean, peoples of the island of the Azores are traditionally known for a variation of meals that include: Papa Grossa, Sopa de Agrião, Cozido de Porco, Molhos de Dobrada, Inhames com Linguiça and Feijões com Cabeça de Porco, as well as producing a local cheese and creamy butter. The fishery is also the base of many interesting seafood meals: Caldeirada de Congro, Bonito Assado no Forno, and Pasteis de Ervas Marinhas, in addition to Atlantic lobster, Cavacos, Crab, Limpet and Barnacles.
